The Life Heroic 3: Once Around The Sun
by alterguild
Summary: The first year for the resident titan couples includes more than the events of the first two Life Heroic stories. A series of days in their lives. RobStar, RaeAqua, BBTerra, CyBee, SpeedyJinx. Reviews appreciated.
1. Day Two

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the third book in the series of "The Life Heroic" stories. For those of you not familiar with my work, I would recommend you read the first two books, "A Night At The Opera" and "Between Life And Burning Space." Click on my author name up above to find them easily.

For those of you who are lazy, please know that the following pairings exist in this story arc:Robin/Starfire, Aqualad/Raven, Beast Boy/Terra, Cyborg/Bumblebee, Speedy/Jinx, and just for kicks Mas y Menos/Blackfire.

Please feel free to review this or any of my stories. I always welcome the comments. And as always, I don't own the titans.

That said, I proudly present to you...

The Life Heroic

Book Three – Once Around The Sun

* * *

Chapter One – Day Two 

Dinner was amazing. Pasta Luna was the premier Italian restaurant in Jump City and it was only by virtue of Speedy's superhero status that he had gotten a table on a Saturday night. Speedy didn't usually like to flaunt his credentials in exchange for perks, but for the right woman he would bend the rules. Jinx was such a woman.

Playing the superhero card turned out to work in their favor. Speedy managed to get a table out on the patio, under the ivy covered awning. The moon was high in the sky and the table and surroundings were lit with oil lanterns. He took the opportunity to order for both of them. Caesar salad, lasagna, and tiramisu for dessert. Their tastes were surprisingly similar for two people who had spent most of their lives on opposite sides of the law.

They had then caught a late movie, which had been equally enjoyable. They had their choice between a comedy, a romance, and a superhero film. They both agreed on the comedy since the romance seemed too cheesy and, well, the superhero film was just art imitating life. So at just after midnight, they were standing outside of the movie theatre, Jinx snuggled up in the warmth of Speedy's jacket as they discussed their options.

"You really need to work on that paper of yours, don't you?"

The pink witch winced. "Why did you have to bring that up? I don't want to think about it tonight."

The archer smiled. "Oh, come on. Together we can knock it out in a few hours and I'm a night owl myself so I won't be going to bed anytime soon."

Jinx sighed. "I wouldn't be against it but I don't know if I can sneak you into the HIVE." She looked down. "And honestly…I don't want to go back there again."

Speedy put a hand under her chin and lifted, her pink eyes meeting his mask. "Do you really mean that? Do you really want to leave the HIVE?"

She nodded, putting a hand on his and stepping close to him, hugging him tightly.

The archer smiled. "Well, I guess we go to the tower, then."

* * *

Jinx woke up to an empty bed. She sat up and stretched lazily. She had finished writing her paper last night and had fallen asleep next to a very soft and very warm pillow. Now that pillow was gone and she was in an empty bed in a strange place. She got up and yawned, looking for something to wear. She settled upon a t-shirt that she found laying about and a pair of HIVE shorts from her overnight bag. 

Last night had gone exceedingly well. It was not often that villainesses got to go out on dates. Technically, this was her first one where no mischief was undertaken. Actually, she thought ruefully, this was her first date at all. Boys at the HIVE weren't exactly known for their charm, class, or pleasantries. So it was by bounteous fate that Jinx, the star student of the Hive Academy for Extraordinary Young People had managed to go out with Speedy, the cocky archer of the Titans East.

The pink witch needed coffee. She ambled towards the door and pressed the button, causing the door to swish open lazily. In the morning light, the room and hallway that she saw were wonderfully inviting. She liked how the other half lived. She liked a lot about the other half, but that would have to wait until she found coffee. She had had a long night.

She followed the voices coming down the hall. She heard a bright voice that she associated with the blonde girl. "You helped her with her paper? How did you do that? She said it was ten pages and you'd need a computer or something to write it all out."

Jinx knew they were talking about her because the next voice came from Speedy, and he sounded very little nervous. "Um, yeah. Listen, Robin, about that…"

Before he could continue, she slipped through the door into the living room. She registered the shock that passed through the assembled titans and ignored it. Instead she focused on the kitchen. "You guys got any coffee?"

She saw Robin freeze in place. The coffee he was pouring began to spill down the sides of his mug. The hot liquid shocked him back into reality. He put his mug down and got a dishtowel, smiling. "Yeah, Jinx, we got coffee. Three kinds. What do you drink?"

She looked over to Speedy and winked. "I'll have what he's having."

* * *

Six hours later she was sitting in the east titans T-plane, heading east towards Steel City, as the newest member of the new organization. To her left sat Speedy and she leaned lazily against him, acutely aware of the fact that her hair was in just the right position to tickle his ear, which she did every so often. Every time she did, the archer would wrap her up in a tight hug and kiss her on the forehead. 

Aqualad called to them through their headsets. "Come on, guys, get a room."

Bumblebee nodded, rolling her eyes. "Yeah, give us a break here."

Speedy laughed. "Come on, you two. Just because you left your hearts in Jump City doesn't mean that I can't enjoy myself."

The Atlantian rankled and stared out over the horizon, the vast expanse of mills and factories indicating they were nearing home. "And it doesn't mean you have to remind us."

They landed the jet without incident and Speedy led Jinx through the tower, showing her around her new home. She was given a room, still barren and empty and badly in need of decorations as her own. Jinx vowed to have her room looking presentable in a week, even if she didn't use it much, which was also looking like a possibility. After the ten cent tour, Bumblebee put Jinx into the tower security system and she was officially a titan.

There was, however, one last thing to be accomplished. Jinx had to go back to the HIVE, turn in her paper and letter of resignation, and get her personal effects from her dorm room all without being seen or suspected by any of her students. She wasn't worried about any others except Gizmo and Mammoth, she hadn't bothered to tell them where she was going or when she would be back. They would be curious and Gizmo especially was dangerous when he was curious.

She waited until evening, passing the time by playing GameStation with Aqualad. The HIVE did not have these sorts of luxuries, not GameStation, not comfy rooms, not true love. Jinx knew she wasn't going to be missing anything in her transition from good to evil. Dinner only proved her point. She had never eaten so well in all her life. After dinner, she rested on the couch, wrapped up in Speedy's arms.

She shifted a little, waking up the napping archer. "I need to slip out for a while and get my stuff from the academy." She stretched and sighed. "And put that stupid paper in the headmistress' mailbox."

He sighed, rubbing the sleep from his masked eyes. "I'll come with you. Let me get into something less conspicuous."

Jinx shook her head and pushed him back onto the sofa. "Oh no you don't. Send you into the heart of the enemy's lair just to pack up my laundry? I think not. I'll go and I'll be back before morning."

Speedy, for having no powers other than his arrows, was by no means weak. He easily pushed up against Jinx's hand and was soon standing beside her. "You're a good guy now, and if you're going into the heart of the enemy's lair, so am I. Besides, what kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't help you move in?"

He sealed the deal with a kiss, making her melt in his arms. Before she could recover he had already bolted out the door and down the hall to change out of his outfit. She kicked herself mentally for letting her defeat him so easily, though on the inside she still glowed from the kiss.

* * *

Speedy walked through the halls of the HIVE academy and tried not to shiver. They were cold, dark, and grey. Windows were few and far between. The lighting was harsh and there was nothing even remotely close to being considered homelike about any of the buildings he had seen so far. 

He was dressed in a black jumpsuit with a red and yellow strip running down the sides. He wore a black knit cap in addition to his mask. This was one of the preliminary outfit designs that he had cast aside in favor of the red one that he wore now. He had kept it because he liked the style and because he might need something to disguise himself in. Speedy was pleased with his forethought.

Jinx walked to his side with an arm wrapped around him. They had gotten into the academy without problem. They had gone to the headmistress' office and turned in Jinx's paper without incident. They had passed effortlessly through every security barrier up until now, this final one. She stopped and addressed the two men who stood in the hall. "Hey Gizmo. Hey Mammoth."

The short man looked at the new addition to their group. "Who's the snot muncher?"

Speedy snorted and whipped his bow out, the glowing yellow point of an energy arrow inches away from Gizmo's nose. "Fine way to greet the newest convert to the HIVE. Let's try again, shall we?"

Mammoth blinked. "Convert?"

Gizmo gulped for air and looked up nervously. "Ummm, welcome to the HIVE?"

Speedy smiled and put his bow back. "Better."

"But why? I thought you were happy with the titans?"

Jinx pulled Speedy close to her and smiled. The pink witch wrapped her arms and one leg around him, a smile that could mean only one thing plastered on her pretty face. Her voice was deliciously soft and sent a chill down Speedy's spine. "Let's just say I have something that the titans can't offer him. Now will you excuse us? We have so much to do."

The two left a completely stunned Gizmo and Mammoth standing in the hall while Jinx calmly unlocked her door and walked in with Speedy. The door shut and the tall man looked to the shorter one. "They make a nice couple."

Gizmo shrugged.

* * *

Jinx's room at the academy stood in stark contrast to everything else Speedy had ever seen. The walls had been painted a dark pink and the room was brighter with the addition of strategically positioned lamps. Various posters of far away places adorned the walls. Along the walls stood a messy desk, a tall chest of drawers, a clothes hamper, and a comfy chair. A soft looking bed made up with light pink sheets finished the room. 

Speedy poked around the room a bit and found a bathroom similarly done up in pinks, complete with a short pink bathrobe hanging from a hook. He arched an eyebrow and looked back into the bedroom. "I'm beginning to detect a theme here."

The witch smiled and swan dived onto her bed. "I have a color that I like, so I stick with it. I also like red, too."

The archer smiled and sat down on the bed beside her. He pulled out his collection of netting arrows and deployed them, gathering up the ends of the netting to form the rough equivalent of a clothing bag. He held out the bags to her. "You pack your clothes. I take it that the furniture is yours, too?"

Jinx nodded, hugging a pillow close. "Yeah, everything except the desk. You should have seen what was in here before. It looked like a prison cell."

Speedy smirked and pulled out a tool kit from his quiver. "I believe it. But there's nothing here I can't handle. We'll get you a new desk when we get back to Steel City." He looked again at the desk and the uncomfortable looking chair. "And a nicer desk chair."

* * *

They worked throughout the night. It was almost sunrise before they had the last of the furniture, posters, and clothing from the room. Jinx stood in the center, looking at the empty pink room. Only a desk, uncomfortable chair, and various textbooks on villainy remained. She closed her eyes and smiled, leaning back into Speedy's arms. "Here lies Jinx, the great villainess. Defeated by love." 

Speedy laughed. "And in her place, Jinx, the great heroine. Created by love."

She turned around and kissed him on the cheek before picking up the last bag. "Alright, that was way too mushy even for me. Let's get out of this dump."

They were out the door and halfway down the hall before they were startled by a series of bright red flashing lights and a blaring klaxon. A voice over the intercom stated the cause: intruder alert, dormitory level.

Speedy rolled his eyes and drew his bow, taking off down the hall after his pink haired associate. "This place really needs to work on its security system if it took this long to recognize me." His wording was punctuated by a series of energy arrows fired at opening doors, knocking various students back into their rooms.

Jinx was working on the doors ahead, hexing the locks as she ran. "Well, funding for most programs has been pretty low since Brother Blood left." She turned the corner and jumped, landing a kick to the head of an unsuspecting guard. "I just didn't think it was this bad."

They progressed quickly into the courtyard, projecting before them an efficient mix of bad luck and good archery. Speedy was contemplative as he drew two arrows and fired them at different guards. "So why didn't anyone get Gizmo to work on the security system?"

Jinx shrugged, casting a wide hex towards the main gate, sending it falling from its hinges and crashing to the ground. They rushed through it and out into the woods beyond where the T-plane sat waiting. "Don't think he didn't offer. They told him it would violate child labor laws."

Speedy ran backwards, providing a cover of arrows as Jinx started up the plane. He tossed his bow in and jumped into the plane as she pulled up on the controls, screeching over the heads of her ex-classmates as they flew at top speed back towards the tower.

Speedy checked the radar and noted that they were not being followed. He smiled happily and leaned back in his seat, taking the opportunity to relax. He was quiet for a second before he looked over at Jinx, his masked face a mask of confusion. "Hold up, a criminal organization actually heeds child labor laws?"

Jinx nodded. "Ironic, isn't it?"


	2. Day Eighty Seven

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Hotshot, April – Thanks much, here you go!

StarSoSweet – Don't worry, it'll have different viewpoints over the course of the year. You'll see.

Estell – I think I'm going to try to write one about them. We'll see how it turns out.

* * *

You'll notice that this story weaves around my other two as it progresses. And pay attention, every detail will become meaningful in later stories! And I still don't own the titans.

* * *

Chapter Two – Day Eighty Seven 

Aqualad had come in the night before, he had been preparing for this day all month. He was ready. There were three bags of his Kenyan roast coffee in the west tower, he had caught up on all his sleep, and trained at the highest setting in his tower's training room until he had mastered every fighting technique he could think of. He was ready.

Yet somewhere, in the darkest depths of his mind, he was scared that he wouldn't be ready. And as he stood at the foot of her bed, watching her sleep, he was scared that he would fail in this, his most important mission to date. He was scared when, at the stroke of midnight on the morning of Raven's seventeenth birthday, her cloak turned from purest white to dark blue and her leotard to black. Across the black of her leotard and the grey of her skin, bright red tattoos of an ancient and indecipherable language appeared. Upon her forehead that cursed mark appeared.

He was scared that he would lose her today.

* * *

Aqualad stepped out of Raven's room and nodded to Robin. They walked towards the living room, the leader of the west titans began calling out orders on his communicator. "Cyborg, lock down the tower and be on the lookout for Slade. If last time was any indication, we have until this evening, but he'll definitely be after her today as well." 

Beast Boy and Terra waited in the living room, their gazes icy. The green changeling spoke. "We'll stand guard on the roof, if he wants in this tower, he'll have to get through us."

Robin shook his head. "No, you two stay inside. Slade still doesn't know that Terra is back yet. The element of surprise is still in our favor there since she's the only one who has ever truly defeated him. Star and I will take the outside." He sighed quietly. "Aqualad, keep her comfortable. The safe room is still incomplete, so her room is probably the safest place for her for now."

The other titans dispersed to their chosen areas. Aqualad walked slowly through the halls of the tower. The safe room would be finished within the next month, a month too late for this particular event. But with all the spells and countercurses cast within Raven's room, it was easily the safest and most secure room in the tower, in addition to being the most comfortable for her. He opened the door a fraction and slipped inside, maneuvering through the dark and sitting down beside her.

Raven opened her eyes slowly. She looked down her arms and legs and saw that the harsh red glow of the tattoos that stood out clear as day. She gasped in shock and put her hands up to her four, glowing red eyes. She collected herself and when she opened her eyes again, they were two and violet. She shivered and pulled the silk sheet over her to hide them from her eyes.

In the darkness, Raven could make out the form of the Atlantian sitting on the edge of the bed. He spoke quietly, thoughtfully. "We have our good days, we have our bad days. We persevere."

She smiled and finished the thought. "Earth shattering cataclysms are rarely that."

He smiled and leaned back on the bed, his head resting upon her leg. "There you go, now you're thinking like an Atlantian! We'll have you breathing water and swimming and talking to fish in no time."

Raven smiled for a while longer before holding the sheet up for him. "Please, I don't want to be alone now."

Aqualad nodded and slipped into bed beside her. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and ignored the palpable heat emanating from the glowing red marks upon her body. He kissed her soft purple hair and whispered in her ear. "Silly girl, you'll never be alone."

Raven eventually slept. Aqualad kept watch, his black eyes narrowed and alert.

* * *

The heat from the liquid rock surrounding the platform upon which he stood was intense. He endured and waited. Minutes, hours, all blended together seamlessly in the silent heat. Everything was in place; all he had to do was wait for the signal to move. Today was not the day, but reminders had to be effected every so often to keep the environment correct for the portal. 

The portal, Raven, had to be reminded of her purpose. Her destiny was to bring the rule of her father upon the earth. Hope, and more recently this disturbing love that she had begun to harbor for another titan, was to be broken at all costs. The more cruelly and heartlessly this was accomplished the better.

A barely perceptible increase in the heat was the only sign that Slade was no longer alone. When he looked up, four bright red eyes graced the wall ahead of him. A deep voice addressed him. "Soon the time will come. The gem is to be polished in preparation for the day. Destroy her hope. Destroy her love. The timeline grows shorter, but the plan will not be rushed. Go to the portal. Remind her that her father has not forgotten her this day."

Slade rose from the platform and watched as the four red eyes shut and the glowing red writing disappeared from the walls. He checked his watch. It was almost noon. He had time for lunch. Even evil needed lunch.

Evil had all day.

* * *

Aqualad slipped into the darkened room. He carried a pizza box in one hand and a two liter bottle of soda in the other. As the door closed behind him, he was blind in the dark, navigating through the room towards the muted red glow that came from under Raven's cloak. She had been reading all day. 

He flashed a grin. "Dinner?"

The cloaked girl looked up, four red eyes glowing at him in the dark. The Atlantian's smile did not falter. After a long moment, she blinked and her eyes returned to two and violet. "That really doesn't bother you?"

Aqualad shook his head. "Should it?"

Raven closed her book and got up from her bed. "I don't know. But dinner does sound like a good idea."

They sat on the floor, in the dark, eating their pizza. Both had eyes to see in the dark, Raven from being used to her shadowed room and Aqualad from living and working in the dark of the deep ocean. Halfway through the pizza, the chiming of Raven's communicator broke their silence.

Raven instinctually moved her hand to activate it, but Aqualad caught her hand inches from the device. He looked deep into her eyes. " Today is not the day. We will get through this day and tomorrow will be a wonderful day."

Raven tried to meet his eyes but for once, could not. She nodded, feeling a tear run down her cheek. "Tomorrow."

She activated her communicator, and they heard all hell breaking loose.

* * *

In front of the tower, Slade held Cyborg up by the neck. The metallic titan's right sonic cannon was emitting a shower of blue sparks and his left cannon was malfunctioning. Slade leveled his good eye and regarded the titan quietly. 

"Raven cannot escape her destiny. You certainly cannot stop what is destined to come to pass."

Cyborg glared and brought his left fist even with Slade's solar plexus, jettisoning his lower arm at top speed, knocking the wind out of the masked villain. Cyborg dropped to his knees and recalled his arm, which had pushed Slade a good twenty feet back. He reattached his arm as Slade advanced, his hands glowing with demonic fire. Cyborg raised his arm and disappeared in a flash of green, Slade's attack narrowly missing him. Looking above, Slade saw the cause of the flash, Starfire.

The Tamaranian princess glowed with a green anger. "You will leave my friends alone!" Twin bolts of green energy shot from her eyes and struck Slade square in the chest, knocking him backwards until a crushing blow from Robin's staff arrested him.

Slade did not turn around. "Ahh, Robin. We meet again." He dropped low and swung his leg around, catching Robin by the heels and knocking him to the ground. "You are slowly improving. Very slowly."

With that barb, he raised his hand and shot a fireball at Starfire. Robin screamed as he heard her shriek and rushed Slade, throwing punch after punch against his masked face. A momentary pause to set up a kick was all it took, and Slade again had control, sending a smoldering Robin crashing against the rocky ground nearby.

From his position on the ground, Robin could only hear the battle continue. Cyborg flew overhead, landing gracelessly in a metallic heap before an animalistic growl caused everyone to turn towards the tower. Beast Boy, in his beast form rushed Slade, scoring deadly looking slash marks across his metal armor. The encounter ended with a punch of demonic fire, filling the air with the smell of burning hair.

What happened next shocked everyone, Slade included. Four boulders rushed at him, narrowly missing him as he jumped to avoid them. The masked man looked around. "Well, Terra, I see both of us are survivors. Come, show me if you've learned anything since we last met."

The blonde girl slid slowly from the shadows. "I've learned enough." She motioned with her hand. "Bring it."

Slade brought it, leaving the young girl crumpled over the unconscious form of Beast Boy. He narrowed his eye and raised his burning hand to finish her. "Arrogance will get you nowhere, apprentice."

A ball of water extinguished the demonic fire encompassing his hand.

* * *

High above the battle below, the two remaining titans watched. Aqualad had made their presence known at the final instant. Raven stood beside him, holding his hand. They took the final step off the ledge and they floated down on a disc of black energy. Landing on the ground, they looked across to Slade. Raven spoke, her four eyes glowing bright red. "Today is not the day. Why are you here?" 

Slade walked forward calmly, the mark upon his forehead glowing equally bright. "As before, I come to deliver a message. You will fulfill your destiny. You will fulfill the prophecy. Hiding yourself behind the fallacy of some perceived love will not take that burden off your shoulders." He raised his hand, which glowed fiercely, and leveled it at Aqualad. "I come to show you what you will cause. Death, destruction, chaos. It will start with him."

Many things happened at once as Slade's attack flew forth. Aqualad spun his back to it, taking Raven in his arms to protect her. Raven screamed, her screams drowning out Aqualad's as the fire scorched his back and gills. Around the two titans, a glowing white raven appeared, taking the force of Slade's attack and turning it back on him. The raven then went forth, attacking the masked man until he disappeared in a raging firestorm.

Aqualad felt himself being lowered to the ground; the arms around him were so soft and warm. He looked up and saw a beautiful woman in shimmering white, she had long purple hair and her violet eyes were wet with tears. She looked very much like his Raven, but she was so different, so sad. He couldn't concentrate. He felt tired and numb. The beautiful woman was shouting something to him, but he couldn't respond. He could only close his eyes and fall asleep.

* * *

He was conscious before he really woke up. He was comfortable, warm, and wet. He was underwater. Opening his eyes Aqualad found that he was in a tank set up in the medical lab. A mask over his face was forcing water through his lungs and gills. He looked out through the glass and saw that Raven, clad in dark blue and her hair once again short, was sitting beside him, reading a book. He sighed at the dark colors that enveloped her. All her progress and happiness had been shattered. They would have to start over again. So be it, earth shattering cataclysms are rarely that. 

He tapped on the side of the glass and she startled. Quickly she put the book away and stuck her hand in the water. He could talk to her now with his mind, but his thoughts were still hazy. "How long was I out? And why am I underwater?"

Raven smiled, leaning against the glass. "A few hours. You're underwater because Slade's last attack caused third degree burns to your gills. I was able to heal you but we had to get them wet again. How do you feel?"

Aqualad shifted a little in his tank. "They're all itchy, but they work." He watched the clock on the wall for a while. It was slowly nearing midnight. "We learned something today."

Raven closed her eyes. "No we didn't. I'll still bring about the end of the world. Nothing is going to stop it from happening."

Aqualad closed his eyes. "Maybe. But I doubt Trigon would be so interested in getting rid of me if I weren't making his job that much harder. There may be hope yet." There were only a few seconds left in the day. "So my gift to you is hope. Happy birthday."

It was finally midnight. Raven smiled playfully. "Hope? Is that all I get?"

The Atlantian rolled his eyes. "Well, that and the diamond necklace in my overnight bag."


	3. Day One Hundred Sixty One

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Estell - Everyone knows that diamonds are a girl's best friend, even if the girl is a half demon from Azarath.

Hotshot - Actually, no, I haven't even begun to touch on the end yet. I'm actually reserving that for my next story. It deserves a whole story, and I've got a few ideas. -

* * *

Time marches on, and this story finds us in the thick of "Between Life And Burning Space." As usual, I don't own the titans.

* * *

Chapter Three: Day One Hundred Sixty One 

Cyborg had pulled the doctor aside into one of the many offices that lined the main laboratory in which they were working. He was pulling long hours like everyone else, and was not ashamed to be seen with his power cable sticking from his chest, especially not with whom he was talking to. The suit the doctor wore was just as unusual as the titan's form. But that wasn't important.

Cyborg closed the door as best he could, being careful of the cord that had followed him through the doorway. Through the window, he could see his black cloaked colleague still working on the device. "I'm worried about Robin."

Doctor Freeze nodded, his voice somber and metallic through the speakers in his helmet. "Yes, as am I. He has worked on this project longer than anyone else and I am certain that he is not sleeping well when he returns to the tower."

Cyborg sighed. "I'm not sure he's sleeping at all. As soon as we get home he goes to watch over Starfire. I wouldn't expect anything less from him, but he's going to fall out real soon or worse, he's going to start making mistakes."

The doctor sat down, adjusting a few of the controls on his suit and then turning his attention back out the window. "He has made no mistakes, I have been checking behind him. You are not the only one who has seen this trend. Besides, we are nearly finished with the cryogenic chamber. We will be ready to run a test by tonight."

Cyborg stretched, ignoring the creak of metal. "I know we should test this thing out, but Star only has two days left before she goes into terminal stage fire fever. We're going to be cutting it awfully close."

A new voice broke into their conversation. Robin stood in the doorway, his masked eyes narrow. "Maybe so, but we have to test it. It's my call." His tone of voice left no question that he was using his power as leader of the titans.

Cyborg disconnected his cord, a soft chime indicating he was on battery power again. "Fine."

Doctor Freeze knew a situation that needed defusing when he saw it so he stepped between the two. "Gentlemen, the remaining work is fine tuning which only I am able to perform. You two will not be needed until we are ready to test the machine in twelve hours. Go home and rest and I will see you back here at that time."

Before Robin could complain, twin sonic cannons and a freeze pistol were leveled at him. His masked eyes went wide before narrowing. "I see we're going to play like that, then. I'll go take care of Starfire." He turned and looked up at the clock as he passed by it. "I'll see you in twelve hours."

* * *

The medical lab in the tower was quiet, for once. Starfire was resting comfortably and her painful, wet coughing was absent as she slept. It was into this calm environment that Robin entered. The lights were dim, the air was cool, and Starfire lay on the bed covered with a purple blanket. By her side were two stuffed animals, a puppy that Robin had won for her at the carnival and a kitz'nic, a six legged, orange furred creature from her native Tamaran. She refused to sleep without them both by her side. 

He had been completely silent as he entered, Batman would have been proud. Yet for whatever reason, Starfire knew he was there and opened her bright green eyes as he sat down next to her. She smiled as bright as the sun for him and happily squeezed his hand before coughing loudly. Robin rushed to wipe away the bright red blood with a damp cloth before settling down beside her.

The boy wonder had brought a bag with him and produced from it a bright yellow squeeze bottle. "Mustard?" He laughed as the alien girl squealed happily and took the bottle, opening it and taking a swig.

She smiled again. "Glorious! Thank you, love Robin." She took another sip. "How was your day today?"

Robin shrugged. "The chamber is complete, there's just some fine tuning that needs to be done on it and Doctor Freeze will be doing that himself so he told me to come here and get some rest."

Starfire nodded. "I cannot wait to meet this doctor. He is a very wise man to send you back to me."

He laughed at this. "What have you done all day?"

She shrugged and gestured towards the television in the corner. "I have watched the operas of soap. Why are they so much different from the opera to which we went and dressed up in our finery?"

Robin blinked and thought for a second. "Well Star, they're not really operas. And I don't know why they're called soap operas." He shrugged and yawned. "I've never really watched them."

The Tamaranian instantly looked concerned. "Love Robin, you are tired?" She set her jaw and looked him over again, speaking with more certainty this time. "Love Robin, you are tired. You spend all your time looking after me and no time looking after Robin."

Robin made to calm her down but before he could, she was scooting over in the bed and gathering up her plush stuffed animals. She lifted the blanket and patted the empty space beside her. Robin sighed. "Star, I promise I'll get some rest once we get you all better and get back from Tamaran."

Starfire, however, put on her most innocent expression and looked shyly into Robin's masked eyes. "Love Robin, I am having trouble sleeping. Please, it would help me to have you by my side." At the first sign of his objection, the redhead pouted and drew up a few tears to seal the deal. The boy wonder didn't stand a chance.

Robin sighed and carefully slid into the bed with her. Instantly, she wrapped herself around him and found the most comfortable position nestled in his arms. His head was resting on the soft pillow and he had his love in his arms. Robin's eyes began to grow heavy. "You play me like a fiddle, Star."

She simply sighed and hugged him tighter. As sleep finally claimed him, Robin could hear her whisper. "I know, my love."

* * *

A green bottle fly flitted into the medical lab and surveyed the scene before flitting back out into the hallway and transforming into the green Beast Boy. He walked into the common room where the other nine titans waited. He nodded. "Robin is asleep, finally." 

Aqualad looked up from the table by the window. "It's about time. He's been awake for almost a week straight. No one go anywhere near there."

Cyborg glanced up from the GameStation and nodded. "I've got a link to the monitoring devices on Star's bed so we'll know if anything happens to her. There really isn't any reason to disturb him for the next few hours." He paused thoughtfully before he sighed and leaned back, pausing the game. "He wants to test the cryogenic chamber himself."

Speedy stepped out from the kitchen with two cups of coffee. He handed one to Jinx and sat down beside her. "I think he has the right to decide to do that. I think if any one of us were in the position he's in, we'd want to test it out ourselves first."

Cyborg regarded Bumblebee for a moment before leaning forward, causing the couch to creak under him. "I won't argue that, but we don't have much time. Starfire is going to go into terminal phase tomorrow and then the day after that, well, you know." He couldn't say it. No one had been able to say it.

Aqualad stood up and walked towards the kitchen. "We can't stop him, we shouldn't stop him. He has the most at stake of all of us. Even though Starfire is our friend, she is Robin's girlfriend. He has to be sure of this." He turned his attention to the changeling and the geomancer at his side. "Beast Boy, Terra, you're sure about the procession of the bar and'r'y?"

Beast Boy and Terra both nodded. The blonde spoke up. "Seven days, seven days, and twenty four hours. Every medical record I've seen has said you could set a watch to it."

The Atlantian nodded. "Then it's settled."

* * *

Robin stirred in bed. Starfire had fallen asleep on top of him again. He opened his eyes slowly and slowly moved Tamaranian arm and leg until he was able to slip out of bed. Starfire began to make noises of protest at his absence, so he replaced the empty space on the bed with her stuffed animals. She sighed happily and hugged them tight in a bone crushing hug. She never knew the difference. 

He quietly slipped out of the medical lab and into the darkened hall beyond. In the muted light, he could see a single glowing red light. Cyborg was waiting for him. "What took you so long?"

Robin tensed up and prepared himself for verbal warfare. "Have you come to talk me out of it?"

The larger man sighed and shook his head. "Look, if I were in your position, if it was Bee sick in there, I would probably be doing the same thing you're about to. So no, I won't talk you out of it." He leveled his eyes at Robin, and the boy wonder could feel the cybernetic eye analyzing him. "But you are crazy, that's for sure. Come on, the T-car is waiting."

Jump City traffic was mild on their way to the laboratory where the cryogenic chamber waited. Cyborg and Robin didn't say a word for the entire trip, both were lost in their own thoughts and it came as a surprise when they reached the lab so quickly. Doctor Freeze was waiting for them as they entered the room where they had assembled the device.

The doctor looked sternly at Robin and when he didn't flinch, the doctor smiled. "You know, I did the exact same thing before I put my wife into her chamber. I wouldn't expect anything less of you."

He extended his hand and the boy wonder shook it. They then walked to the glass lidded case and Robin climbed in. Cyborg stood at the head of the chamber. "We're setting it for twenty four hours. One day should be enough."

Robin nodded. The doctor returned to them and looked down into the box. "You will feel a momentary discomfort as the cycle begins." He closed the glass lid, the seals automatically engaging as the lid locked into place.

It was silent, and then it was cold, and then it all stopped.


	4. Day Two Hundred Twenty Eight

Hurray for reviews!

Estell – Answering your earlier question, I'm going to throw in a MasyMenos/Blackfire chapter for you. Look for it coming soon.

Hotshot – Thank you.

Inuandrave – Well, by book I mean a story that falls within the auspices of the title, The Life Heroic. So all my stories are connected.

* * *

Sorry for the delay, everyone. I know this isn't my strongest story, but I needed a way to advance my plot by a year quickly. I promise I'll make it up to you guys with the next story. As always, I don't own the titans.

* * *

Chapter Four: Day Two Hundred Twenty Eight 

It was good to be back in the tower again. The extended trip to Tamaran to cure Starfire of her illness, while like a vacation and immensely enjoyable for the last month, had been particularly taxing for Terra. It had been her first time off the planet, and she had discovered that her powers were limited to her namesake, to the terran earth.

This discovery, this weakness, had put Terra on edge. It was something that Beast Boy was not used to dealing with. He had done his best for the month that they were on Tamaran to keep her occupied so that she didn't think about it, but he knew it still affected her. For thirty warm Tamaranian nights, she clung to him at night, too afraid to be left alone for him to even roll over in bed.

He had discussed it with her one night early on. He phrased it very carefully. She had responded that, for all her time on the road before joining the titans, she had always had her powers. There on Tamaran, for the first time, she was without them. She was alone. Beast Boy had been glad to see her mood improve greatly once they touched back down on earth, but still the specter of her fear lingered in her eyes.

Terra had spent all morning on the training course outside the tower, slowly upping the level until she was running at the hardest level. But still, she found her thoughts lingering on her fear. At a time like this she would usually go out to the shore of the small island and skip rocks. But on this evening, she didn't feel like skipping rocks. Instead, she put on her bright yellow bikini and grabbed a towel. She went up to the roof of the tower where the hot tub was located. She found the hot tub running, but no one in it. She shrugged at this and slipped into the water only to step on someone. She shrieked and a black haired titan popped his head out of the water with a very surprised look on his face. It was Aqualad.

The Atlantian let out a raspy laugh as the water cleared from his lungs. "Terra, I'm sorry. You startled me. I was asleep."

The geomancer concentrated on calming her heart rate and sat down across from him. "I startled you? You aren't the one who stepped on somebody." Both shared a laugh at this. "So when are you guys heading back east? And where's Raven?"

Aqualad shrugged. "We'll head back tomorrow, the day after, sometime soon. Bumblebee and I both have our reasons to prolong our visit here. And Raven is meditating, I didn't want to disturb her." He sunk down in the water, his mouth just above the waterline. "I envy you and Beast Boy for being able to be together every day. You don't realize how lucky you are."

Terra sighed and smiled. "Yeah, it's good to have him around all the time." She looked out towards the cityscape beyond the tower and sighed again, quickly becoming distant as she began to concentrate on other things in her mind.

Turning to regard the cityscape for a moment as well, Aqualad closed his eyes. "Let me guess. You are still troubled by Tamaran?"

She looked at him with an expression of pure shock. "Who told you?"

He smiled, his eyes still closed. "You did. It's written all over your face. It's written in the way you've been pretty much constantly training since we got back." He opened his pitch black eyes and regarded her bright blue eyes for a second. "And don't tell me I don't understand because I was powerless as well all month. Apparently the Tamaranian oceans didn't like me."

She closed her eyes tightly and tried to prevent the tears from falling. She failed and began to sob quietly. "How can you be so calm about it?"

Aqualad shrugged and turned to look out towards the ocean, spreading his arms wide. "First, this is our home. Earth, the ocean, where ever. We'll live our lives here and die here and work here in between. The fact that we went to Tamaran once doesn't mean we'll ever go there again, although it was a very nice place." He stood up and collected his towel, draping it over his shoulders to hide his gills. "Second, you should think like an Atlantian. Part of living is being weak and realizing that we can't control everything. Sometimes you just have to let go."

Terra sniffled, looking down at the bubbling surface of the hot tub. "Letting go isn't easy." She laughed through the last of her tears. "But you're right, Tamaran was a very nice place."

He smiled and put a wet hand on her shoulder, squeezing softly. "You will be alright. You're stronger than you realize. Not even Slade could keep you down. Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to try to rouse Raven." With that he turned and walked back into the tower, leaving the blonde girl alone with her thoughts.

* * *

Aqualad dried off some and grabbed a shirt from his guest room before he walked through the halls of the tower and came to a stop in front of Beast Boy's door. He knocked and waited. Nothing happened. Aqualad knocked louder, finally resorting to kicking the door. At last, the green changeling answered. Behind him, the monitor of the computer on his desk revealed a paused game of Commando Monkey Five. 

The Atlantian shook his head but decided not to ignore that. "It's seven o'clock, do you know where your girlfriend is?"

Beast Boy sighed and leaned against the doorframe. "Somewhere worrying about losing her powers? Since you're wet, I'm going to guess it was either the hot tub or the beach."

Aqualad nodded. "Hot tub. You should go to her."

The changeling motioned for his friend to enter his room. Since dating Terra, Beast Boy had begun to take cleanliness a little more seriously. His room was in a state of ordered chaos and laundry was getting done with almost frightening regularity. He slumped down in his chair at his desk and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't really know what to do anymore. I'm fine about losing powers on an alien world. You're fine about losing powers on an alien world. She isn't."

Aqualad closed his eyes and leaned against the post of the bunk bed, gathering his thoughts about him. "Look at the situation. Look at where she's from and what she's been through. How long did she wander around on her own before she met you? And Slade messed with her head for a while in there, too. Now she comes across a situation where her powers just up and disappear. She feels helpless, weak. Beast Boy, she'll get over this and everything else that comes her way but until she realizes she's just as strong as any one of us, she's going to need a lot of support. Your support."

Beast Boy looked up to his friend, then to the computer, and then quietly turned off his game. "Do you think she's still up there?"

The Atlantian nodded and stepped away from the bed, walking back towards the door. "Yeah, she's still up there. I'm going to grab a shower and take Raven out for Chinese. See you later."

Beast Boy closed the door and rushed to change into his swim trunks, mentally noting how much easier it was to find things now that the room was clean. He quickly found his swimwear, which was purple and black just like his outfit, put it on, and rushed out the door and up to roof. He could see a familiar blonde head peeking up over the edge of the tub and he ambled slowly over and followed her gaze out to the brightly lit cityscape. "In the mood for company?"

The face that turned to him was contemplative, with only a few lingering tears, but she quickly found a smile as he approached. "Your company? Always."

With a smile, the green man turned himself into an octopus and slowly crawled his way into the tub. Once underwater, he crawled onto Terra's lap and wrapped his eight arms around her in a very odd hug. He could tell by the squirming and laughter coming from above that he was tickling her. He eventually returned to human form, his two arms wrapped around her waist and his head resting just above the waterline on her chest. She was still giggling, which was music to his ears. He sighed and decided that now was the time to talk. "You need to let it go, Terra."

The blonde laughed and hugged him tight. "Let me guess, Aqualad got to you?" At his nod, she continued. "I'll be fine, I think I just need time. It's not easy losing something you've had all your life in the blink of an eye, even if you get it back."

Beast Boy nodded and gave her a soft kiss. He tried to be nonchalant. So how about you and I get out of here for a while? We could get dinner someplace, then maybe go to the carnival. We could ride the rides, I could win you a stuffed animal. You know, nothing big."

Terra laughed at this and hugged him tight. "Sounds like a plan. But you don't have to win me a stuffed animal. I have every animal I could ever want."

Beast Boy blushed furiously at this, evoking a soft giggle from Terra. Together, they went downstairs to their rooms to change for an evening out.

* * *

The decision to start eating meat had a few unintended pleasures for Beast Boy, the most enjoyable of which was the ability to go to any restaurant anywhere and no longer have to worry about the menu. Corollary to that was the ability to share a pizza with Terra without having to order half this and half that. They decided to take their pizza to go and eat it at the park, which was easy enough to do with Terra's ability to move a large paving stone around like their own personal taxi. 

The impromptu trip to the park led to a vastly enjoyable encounter with a very large swing set. Beast Boy pushed Terra on the swing until she absolutely insisted that he had to join her in a competition to see who could go the highest. Beast Boy won, but only by becoming a hummingbird and hovering above the swings. Terra answered this by jumping from her swing at the highest point and catching herself on the paving stone. She flew off towards the glowing lights of the carnival, laughing merrily, as a green eagle trailed behind her.

Touching down behind the abandoned paving stone and transforming back into his human form, Beast Boy slid up beside Terra and one arm wrapping around her slender waist while the other went to scratch the back of his head. "So, what ride first?" He caught her blue eyes with his dark green eyes and smiled. "The world is yours tonight."

The geomancer leaned into his embrace and kissed him lightly, the ground beneath them rumbling just enough for them to feel. Her eyes were sultry as she walked away, headed towards the carnival rides. "The world is mine every night, but I want to ride the bumper cars first."

The green changeling followed her, obedient as a puppy, but with a grin on his face that was anything but.

* * *

Late at night, the pair of young lovers sat high atop the Ferris wheel. The moon was full and they stared out over the ocean towards the small island with the brightly lit tower in which they lived. Beast Boy, for the life of him, could not stop looking over his shoulder even though they were the only two in the explicitly two person car. The last time he had been on a Ferris wheel with Terra, they had had an unexpected visitor. 

Terra laughed at this and leaned in to kiss him on the nose. "You need to let go."

The changeling smiled. "Dude, that's my line!"

The slender blonde slide into her chosen love's arms and sighed, taking in the night that was spread before them. She had to smile. These days it seemed like everything he did, he did for her. And then it struck her like every rock she had ever lifted from the first day she had beheld her powers. She began to laugh and buried her head into his arm. "Beast Boy, I am so blind."

Geophysics made more sense than this sudden change in his girlfriend. But the green changeling took it in stride, giving her a quick squeeze. "Nah, you're not blind at all. But, umm, why do you think you're blind?"

Terra began slowly, taking her time and thinking about her words. "I was so worried about being abandoned that I completely forgot what I have. All those years on the road with only myself to rely on, I was alone. Then there was that business with Slade. I messed up and ended up alone. Then that month on Tamaran, and I thought I was all alone again."

Beast Boy began to catch on. He finished her thought. "You've gotten so used to thinking and fearing that you were alone that you forgot what it was like to not be."

Terra smiled, inching ever closer to the green man at her side. "When all the while, since that first day I laid eyes on you…"

Inwardly, Beast Boy laughed. She had figured it out on her own. Tomorrow, the sun would rise and things would be back to normal in the tower by the bay. The changeling finished her thought. "You were never alone."

Their hands met, their fingers intertwined, and as the fireworks began in the darkened sky above them, their lips met yet again.


	5. Day Three Hundred Two

Hurray for reviews!

Hotshot – Thank you.

Estell – I'm glad you enjoyed it. I've always considered Terra to be a bit of a tragic heroine because of her insecurity. She has peace of mind coming to her, I feel.

Inuandrave – I didn't mean for it to be dramatic, but like I said above, I think Terra is a tragic heroine. Since I brought her back, I just think she has happiness due.

Pyro – Thank you for being so complimentary. I readily admit this isn't my best work which is why I've put it off. I hope to finish this up soon, wash my hands of it, and start on a new book that will have a lot more action.

* * *

To everyone, I feel I must continue apologizing for this. I know this isn't my best work and I hope you'll all forgive me. Once I get an idea in my mind, I have to see it through, so I hope you'll forgive me while I finish this story. I've only got a few more chapters to go, then it'll be on to something much more exciting, I swear. As you all know, I don't own the titans.

* * *

Chapter Five – Day Three Hundred Two

The cross country drive was actually very relaxing for Cyborg. It was time alone with his baby, time to really test her and see what she was capable of. It helped that being a well known superhero pretty much meant that he could open the T-car up to top speed wherever he could and not have to worry about speeding tickets. Presently, he was pulling almost one hundred seventy in a seventy five zone in the midwest. Cyborg had a date to keep and was racing against the clock.

He checked one of the display screens on the dashboard. It displayed a view of the North American continent and most of Central America. A small blue dot was in the warm waters just south of the Yucatan Peninsula. Cyborg pushed his baby just a little harder. If he was to win, he had to be at least two hundred miles from Metropolis before Aqualad reached the Panama Canal.

It had become a bit of an unofficial race for them. They both left their respective towers at the same time. Cyborg would head east overland in his car and Aqualad would head west by sea. Depending on traffic around major metropolitan centers and the canal locks, the two were pretty much evenly matched.

The process had been affectionately nicknamed prisoner exchange. Every weekend either Cyborg and Aqualad or Bumblebee and Raven would switch towers so the couples could be together and still keep the number of titans in each of the two towers equal. As a result, there was a recharging platform for Cyborg in the east tower and the west tower had started using something other than chlorine in their hot tub for Aqualad.

Cyborg tapped a few controls on the dashboard and the display screen was replaced with a view of the east tower living room. In the center of the screen was a dark haired girl clad in purple sitting between Mas y Menos. All held GameStation controllers. Cyborg could only laugh at this scene. "Blazing B! I didn't know you were coming around this weekend."

The dark princess of Tamaran laughed. "Cyborg! What's up? I had some free time so I decided to fly myself over here. And I was out of soda."

Mas y Menos perked up and looked at her. Their English had been constantly improving since they started spending more time with Blackfire. Still, they held a heavy accent as they spoke in concert. "Soda? Is that all?"

Blackfire laughed, a glint in her eyes as she paused their game. "Certainly not." She redirected her attention to the titan on the road. "Hold on, I'll get Bee for you."

There was a momentary pause as the screen flickered and the connection was transferred into Bumblebee's room. If her hair being down wasn't enough of a clue to tell that she had just gotten out of the shower, the towel gave it away. Yet still, there she was. "Hey Sparky, where are you?"

Cyborg settled back, since he was directly connected to the car sensor systems, he would know well in advance of anything happening around or ahead of him. "Oklahoma, where the wind comes whistling down the plains."

The girl looked at him drolly and flicked her wings. "No show tunes."

* * *

The hours passed and the cities and states flew by for the titan in the car. Metropolis was the key. Traffic around the city was a snarling mess on a Friday, and the rules of the game stated that the only time that Cyborg could switch the T-car to hover mode was on the final approach to the east tower.

He was at least thankful that he didn't have to put up with Gotham City traffic. He had been there a few times, mostly as trips to visit Batman. If he had had hair, he would have long since pulled it out if he had had to put up with that traffic every other weekend. However, the benefits of that specific trip were tangible and immediate. No one mentioned it, and Robin certainly least of all, but the dark knight seemed to have taken a sort of affinity to the friends of his old sidekick. And certainly Bruce Wayne and Alfred thought that the teenaged entourage brought a certain life to the old mansion.

But, by Metropolis, neither Cyborg nor Aqualad had a definitive lead over the other. However, as the blue dot cleared the land and moved out into the ocean, a call came through to the T-car. Cyborg answered the line. "You got Cyborg."

The unmistakable sound of fast rushing water and heavier than normal breathing came over the line. The voice was garbled, like listening to the radio underwater "Remind me again why we just don't take the jets?"

The driving titan laughed at the swimming titan. "Because if we have the jets and something happens while we're in transit, they can't get anywhere. Besides, the exercise will do you good."

Aqualad huffed, the sound not lost in the water. "Do me good? I'm not the one who eats a pound of bacon in a sitting. You're lucky you need all that grease for your joints, tin man. How is traffic?"

Cyborg grimaced. "I've seen worse. How was the canal?"

"I've seen better. At least I can walk across the locks and they don't charge me." A low rumbling sound came across the connection followed by an Atlantian curse. "Stupid ring of fire, stupid undersea volcanoes. You don't know how lucky you have it. I'll talk to you later when I get to the tower."

The line closed. Cyborg looked up and started slowing down, ahead of him was a line of brake lights as far as he could see. He gritted his teeth. "I'll take volcanoes, I think."

* * *

The drive continued into the late afternoon. The sun was low in the horizon when Cyborg finally saw the line of factories that was the Steel City industrial district. He was driving at a normal speed, finally. Metropolis traffic had been horrendous and he had been forced to stop along the way and clear up a major pile up and help extricate survivors. That delay had been enough for Aqualad to take a sizeable lead. He had just called in to say he was at the tower. He looked so smug sitting there with Raven in his lap.

Cyborg sighed and activated the hover jets, crossing the water to the island tower. As he flew over the dark water, he concentrated entirely on the approaching tower to the point that only a tapping on the window startled him. He looked over and saw a familiar yellow and black form flitting alongside the car. At that moment the stress of racing Aqualad, the wreck on the highway, and the cross country drive all melted. He landed the car and pulled it into the garage, hardly stepping from the door before Bumblebee had jumped into his arms. "Rough drive?"

Cyborg kicked the door closed, all thoughts of his prized car set aside for the girl in his arms. He gave her a quick squeeze and a long kiss. "You know, I don't remember. My mind was wandering off somewhere."

Bumblebee flitted her wings playfully as he set her down. "I wonder where. Come on, everyone is up on the roof. Speedy is barbequing ribs."

The tall titan clapped his hands together, ignoring the metallic clang and smiled broadly. "Ribs! However did you guess?"

He followed the winged girl into the elevator and they rode up to the residential level. Using the communicator in his arm, he called over to his home tower and left a message to say that he had arrived safely. This last duty performed, Cyborg became an east titan for the weekend. Stepping out into the living room, Cyborg looked around and noticed Jinx in the kitchen wearing an apron. She was surrounded by bowls. "Jinx, I didn't know you could cook."

The pink witch turned around and smiled. "Glad you finally made it, Cyborg!" She regarded the bounty around her and shrugged. "Mother told me that I should always be able to take care of myself so she made sure I knew how to cook pretty early on." She pulled something out of the oven, something that looked suspiciously like brownies. "Could you take the cole slaw and the beans up?"

He looked around at the dishes and tears of happiness filled his eyes. "Ribs, cole slaw, beans. I'm in heaven!" He picked up one dish and handed the other to Bumblebee. "Come along, angel."

It was a short hike through the halls of the tower and then up the stairs to the roof. Mas, Menos, and Blackfire were lingering around the grill where Speedy, in apron and chef's hat was slathering barbeque sauce on some very large racks of ribs. The masked griller looked up and raised his tongs. "Cyborg!"

Cyborg returned the greeting and dropped the cole slaw on the table set up on the roof that held the food. He grabbed two root beers from the cooler beside the table and handed one to Bumblebee while walking over to the assembled crowd. "How long until they're done?"

Speedy checked his watch. "Not long. Maybe another five or ten minutes."

They were soon joined by Jinx, still in her apron, who slid up beside Speedy and wrapped her arms around him. This caused no small amount of snickering from the other titans. She looked from one to another and finally confronted them. "Okay, what's so funny?"

Cyborg turned to regard them both and could barely keep from laughing. "It's nothing, really, it's nothing. You two just look so cute in your matching aprons and everything."

Jinx and Speedy both regarded each other, then the other titans. The witch's voice was soft and cool. "Speedy, darling, do make sure to give Cyborg the small rack, won't you?"

The archer nodded. "Already planning on it, dear."

The red cybernetic eye of metallic titan grew wide. "Hey, come on guys, we were just messing with you. I wasn't serious. Come on."

Now it was Jinx and Speedy's turn to laugh. The archer put an arm around Jinx and lifted the lid off the grill to baste the ribs.

Cyborg sighed and shook his head. "That's just not right."

* * *

The sun had gone down and the moon had come up, and long ago everyone had gone downstairs to watch movies, but Cyborg stayed up on the roof. Bumblebee stood overtop of him, giving him a massage. His eyes were closed and he had a serene look on his face. "A little lower."

Bee raised her hammer and swung it down against his back, a little lower than the last swing. It met his body armor with a resounding clang. Below her, she heard a satisfied sigh and she smiled. "Better?"

"Yeah, just like that." And so, the sound of hammer falls continued uninterrupted for a while in the warm night air.

After a while, Bee paused and looked out over the ocean. "This is nice." She brought the hammer up and swung down on a previously unworked section of Cyborg's back.

The metallic titan grunted and opened his eyes, a soft red glow from his cybernetic eye lighting the area of ground where he lay. "What? Being able to hit me with a ten pound sledgehammer and not worry about assault charges?"

The winged girl laughed softly and sat down on his back before he could turn himself over. "That, among other things."

Resigned to the fact that he was stuck on his stomach on the ground, Cyborg stretched, the occasional groan of metal on metal breaking the silence. "What other things?"

"Not fighting all the time. Not yelling or screaming." She leaned in. "Getting close and figuring out what makes you tick."

At this, Cyborg delicately rolled over underneath her. She now rested on his waist. He took a split second to register what his cybernetic components were registering, her weight, her position, and the pressure of her body registering on the armor plates of his abdomen. Then he pushed all that aside and listened to his humanity. This was what he wanted to hear. He reached up and pulled her down to kiss her. "If you had paid any attention, you would have known all along."

She tapped his head, and then she tapped his chest. "Head and heart."

He nodded. "Boo-ya."

The creak of the access door opening interrupted their peace. A masked head emerged from the doorway and looked around for them, his eyes widening when he saw what position they were in. "Woah, sorry guys." When he realized they were just talking Speedy relaxed. "Hey, come on. Blackfire has never seen Wicked Scary or any of the sequels so we're going to have a movie marathon."

Cyborg was up in an instant, effortlessly lifting Bumblebee up and into his arms. He cradled her carefully, making sure to avoid any damage to her wings. The look on his face meant trouble. "Oh man, this is going to be awesome!"

Bumblebee sighed a little and laughed, resting her head against his chest as he carried her into the tower. Head and heart, some things would never change.


End file.
